Patent Application
20090109620
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat-dissipating device, and in particular to a heat-dissipating device of a portable electronic apparatus that can be self-powered by utilizing thermoelectric materials.
2. Description of Prior Art
The technology of electronic elements is progressing greatly for these years. Especially, the central processor used in a computer is made more and more compact while the operating performance and efficiency thereof are enhanced continuously. However, the heat generated by a power-consuming operation of the electronic element is thus accommodated so fast that the heat-dissipating rate is insufficient. If the heat of the central processor cannot be conducted or dissipated rapidly, an overheated phenomenon may be caused. As a result, the computer may crash and the central processor may even burn down.
There are various kinds of heat-dissipating devices. In one version, a fan is fixed on the casing of an electronic apparatus and is designed to dissipate the hot air within the casing by mans of air circulation and further introducing external air that is colder than the internal air, thereby dissipating the heat generated by the operation of the electronic elements. In another version, a heat dissipator for dissipating the heat source generated by the electronic element includes a base and a set of heat-dissipating pieces connected on a surface of the base to conduct the heat. The set of heat-dissipating pieces are fixed on the surface of the electronic element via the base to conduct the heat, thereby absorbing the heat generated by the electronic element and then radiating the heat to ambient air. Of course, in these heat dissipators, the fan can be disposed on the heat-dissipating pieces to enhance the heat-dissipating rate of the heat-dissipating pieces. Therefore, it is an important issue to improve the heat-dissipating efficiency of the above-mentioned heat-dissipating device.
According to the above, in order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, the inventor proposes the present invention based on his expert experience and deliberate research.
The present invention is to provide a heat-dissipating device of a portable electronic apparatus. The heat-dissipating device includes a heat-conducting plate disposed above a heat-generating element. One end of a heat-conducting pipe is disposed on the heat-conducting plate, and the other end of the heat-conducting pipe is disposed on a surface of a power generator to form a high-temperature source. The opposite surface of the power generator is fixedly provided on a heat-dissipating body to form a low-temperature source. The power generator is made of a thermoelectric material, by which the heat energy caused by the temperature difference can be converted into electricity. A heat-dissipating fan is provided on one side of the heat-dissipating body. The positive and negative lines of the heat-dissipating fan are electrically connected to the positive and negative lines of the power generator.
Via the above arrangement, after the heat-conducting plate conducts the heat source to the heat-conducting pipe to perform a heat exchange, the heat source is then conducted to the other end of the heat-conducting pipe, so that the surface of the power generator contacting the end of the heat-conducting pipe becomes a high-temperature source, while the other surface acts as a low-temperature source. Thus, the heat due to the temperature difference can be converted into electricity, thereby providing the necessary power for the operation of the heat-dissipating fan. Therefore, a self-powered heat-dissipating device can be achieved.
The detailed description and technical contents of the present invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the drawings are illustrative only but not to limit the present invention.
The present invention relates a heat-dissipating device of a portable electronic apparatus. With reference to
In the present invention, the power generator 3 is a P-N semiconductor that is made of thermoelectric materials. The so-called thermoelectric material is one capable of converting the heat energy into electricity by means of a temperature difference. One surface of the power generator 3 is connected with a high-temperature heat-conducting piece 31, and the other surface is connected with a low-temperature heat-conducting piece 32. The power generator 3 converts the heat energy generated by the temperature difference between the high-temperature heat-conducting piece 31 and the low-temperature heat-conducting piece 32 into electricity correspondingly based on the principle of heat-electricity conversion. Therefore, the other end of the heat-conducting pipe 2 is fixedly provided on the high-temperature heat-conducting piece 31 of the power generator 3.
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
Therefore, when the heat-generating element 20 operates continuously, the high-temperature heat-conducting piece 31 of the power generator 3 will be kept as a high-temperature source. Also, when the heat-dissipating fan 5 is powered to operate continuously to keep the heat-dissipating body 4 to a low temperature, the low-temperature heat-conducting piece 32 of the power generator 3 will be also kept as a low-temperature source. Until the heat-generating element 20 stops operating, the high-temperature heat-conducting piece 31 cannot be kept as a high-temperature source, so that there is no temperature difference available to be converted into electricity. Thus, the heat-dissipating fan 5 stops operating accordingly.
With reference to
According to the above, the power generator 3 of the present invention generates electricity correspondingly via a temperature difference, thereby providing the necessary electricity for the operation of the heat-dissipating fan 5 and thus forming a self-powered heat-dissipating device 10. Therefore, the portable electronic apparatus provided with the heat-dissipating device 10 of the present invention need not to provide additional electricity to the heat-dissipating fan 5, so that the lifetime and standby time of the battery of the portable electronic apparatus can be extended.
To sum up, the present invention achieves the desired objects and solves the drawbacks of prior art. Further, the present invention has not been published or used in public prior to filing. Therefore, the present invention really has novelty and inventive steps and thus conforms to the requirement for a utility model patent.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof Various equivalent variations and modifications can still occur to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention. Thus, all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
